The Center for Public Health under the Ministry of Health of Ukraine warns Ukrainians about another type of coronavirus disease MERS-COV, which is spreading in the countries of the Middle East.
“Ukrainians who plan to travel to the Middle East should take into account the circulation of Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV) in the Middle East region. The virus was first diagnosed in Saudi Arabia back in 2012. However, new human cases of MERS-CoV are still being reported, including lethal ones,” the message says.
As noted, Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS-CoV) is an acute respiratory viral infection caused by the MERS-CoV coronavirus, which is pathogenic for humans.
In particular, the course of the disease may be asymptomatic, and may be accompanied by severe clinical manifestations such as high body temperature, cough and shortness of breath. Often, patients are diagnosed with pneumonia.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the infectious agent is limited to the Arabian Peninsula. In particular, most cases were reported in Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, Iran, Jordan, Kuwait, Yemen, and the United Arab Emirates. Outside the region, isolated imported cases of the disease were recorded. However, travelers are advised to be vigilant and take into account the likelihood of infection in the listed countries.
“During the period from January 1 to March 11, 2021, Saudi Arabia reported to WHO about seven new cases of MERS-CoV infection, including three deaths. The patients’ age is from 48 to 84 years. Three of them had contact with camels. All infected had concomitant diseases: diabetes mellitus, hypertension or chronic kidney disease. This fact underlines the previously existing evidence that people with just such diseases, as well as lung diseases and weak immunity, become the main target for MERS-CoV,” the Center said.
It is also noted that MERS-CoV infection occurs through direct or indirect contact with camels. The virus is transmitted from person to person within the family.
Travelers are warned before visiting the Middle East to avoid close contact with animals, especially camels, consuming raw camel milk or eating meat that has not been properly processed, to refrain from visiting crowded places, to follow general rules of hygiene such as regular washing hands before and after touching animals and avoiding contact with sick animals, and follow food hygiene practices.
The Adonis medical group of companies plans to more than double its bed capacity, Group Development Director Vitaliy Hyrin has said. “Now we have about 60 beds, including maternity hospitals. We want to increase the bed capacity to 150,” he said in an interview with Interfax-Ukraine.
Hyrin said that at present, for a private clinic, the optimal minimum number of beds for its full workload is from twelve, plus one operating room.
He also said that Adonis is studying development opportunities in the regions.
“This is definitely an interesting market, I believe that the Kyiv market is, give or take, saturated, although the number of residents of Kyiv is growing. The paying capacity of clients and patients is growing. In principle, we have something to do in Kyiv city and the region, but the prospects are definitely a market outside Kyiv region,” he said.
Adonis, a multidisciplinary medical center for adults and children, has been operating since 1997. Currently, Adonis has 10 branches in Kyiv city and the region, including a research laboratory and two maternity hospitals.
The Pivnichny (Northern) Economic Court of Appeal upheld an appeal of CJSC Philip Morris Ukraine and Philip Morris Sales and Distribution LLC in case No. 910/17723/19, canceled the decision of the Kyiv Economic Court dated August 5, 2020, and canceled the fines for a total amount of UAH 1.18 billion imposed on them in 2019 by the Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine (AMCU). According to the court’s decision, promulgated in the unified public register of court rulings, the Pivnichny Economic Court of Appeal ruled to invalidate paragraphs 1 and 11 of AMCU decision No. 697-r dated October 10, 2019 that concern the PMI group of companies, as well as invalidate paragraphs 3 and 4 of this solution.
In addition, the court ruled to collect UAH 14,400 of court fee from the AMCU in favor of OJSC Philip Morris Ukraine (the settlement of Dokuchayevske, Kharkiv region) and Philip Morris Sales and Distribution LLC (Kyiv).
The Pivnichny Economic Court of Appeal also ruled to return the materials of case No. 910/17723/19 to the Economic Court of the city of Kyiv.
The decision of the appellate instance entered into force from the date of its awarding.
As reported, the AMCU in October 2019 imposed a fine of UAH 6.5 billion on four tobacco producers and distributor Tedis Ukraine for anticompetitive concerted actions. Later, Philip Morris Ukraine paid a fine to the AMCU in the total amount of more than UAH 1.18 billion in order to avoid the accrual of penalties, but in February 2020, PMI submitted a notification to the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine that Ukraine had violated a number of obligations under investment protection agreements.
The companies of the Philip Morris International group on December 21, 2020 also filed a claim about bilateral investment arbitration against the government of Ukraine with the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (Washington, DC, the United States) in connection with the unfair, in their opinion, decision of the Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine (AMCU) to fine them UAH 1.2 billion in the case of the wholesale distributor Tedis Ukraine.
Ukraine, as a European country, has the right to become a member of the EU, but must first fulfill the Association Agreement and the reform program, a high-ranking European official has said.
“We are linked with Ukraine by the Association Agreement signed in 2014, including the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA) Agreement, and now we must do everything possible to make it a success story,” he said, announcing the participation of Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba in a videoconference of EU foreign ministers.
He noted that this agreement has a huge potential in terms of the economy and social development of Ukraine, while Brussels and Kyiv should focus their efforts on its implementation.
“Ukraine is a European country and in this capacity it can become a member of the EU,” he told journalists.
“But this is not what is on the agenda right now. Today we are talking about the implementation of the Association Agreement, about holding reforms, about things that usually precede the process of joining the union,” the official said.
He said that on Monday Kuleba will join the video meeting of the foreign ministers of the EU countries and will talk with them for about an hour.
“The Ukrainian army has been constantly on alert for seven years, Ukraine spends 6% of its GDP on defense, which it more needs on other budget items,” the official stressed.
In his opinion, Ukraine will be able to move forward, overcoming the conflict in the east of the country and actively pursuing reforms. At the same time, the EU is ready to provide financial and economic support to Kyiv.
“We will continue to do this, because we see this as the only possible way to ensure that Ukraine is a truly independent, sovereign country,” the EU official said.
The Adonis medical group of companies plans to open four branches in 2021, Group Development Director Vitaliy Hyrin has said.
“Our plans for 2021 are the opening of four branches in Kyiv region: in Podil, in Sofiyivska Borschahivka, in Pozniaky residential areas and in Bucha. These will all be multidisciplinary clinics, although they will have their own specializations,” he said in an interview with Interfax -Ukraine.
Hyrin also said that Adonis plans to launch its own ambulance service by the end of 2021.
“We want to create an ambulance service for four cars. We are developing the concept of a full-cycle clinic,” he said.
Adonis, a multidisciplinary medical center for adults and children, has been operating since 1997. Currently, Adonis has 10 branches in Kyiv city and the region, including a research laboratory and two maternity hospitals.
